The Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers work leading to
the Master of Science in Education degree with a major in reading. The
objective of the program is to provide elementary and secondary teachers
with opportunities to increase their professional competency. The focus
is on in-depth understanding of both developmental and remedial reading
theory and instructional practices based on theory and research. The goal
is to prepare teachers for a variety of professional positions: as effective
elementary and secondary classroom teachers, as reading specialists endorsed
to teach in specialized reading programs such as Title I at either the
elementary or secondary level, and as K-12 reading specialists.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the School of Graduate Studies

Cumulative GPA of 2.75

Graduate Record Examination not required

Acceptance by the Departmental Graduate Committee

A valid teaching certificate

Teaching experience (preferred)

Degree Requirements

The program requires a minimum of 32 semester hours.

EIS 500 Methods of Research: 3 s.h.

Reading Core: 18 s.h.

RDG 468G Teaching Reading in Secondary School and College
or
RDG 570 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School

The student may need to take other courses to meet certification requirements
in the state in which he/she resides.

A student majoring in reading may be permitted to transfer a maximum
of six semester hours of approved graduate credit from an accredited institution.
Courses taken through the Quad Cities Graduate Study Center are considered
residence credit. Reading courses taken at extension centers where the
reading core of courses is offered is considered residence credit. All
transfer and extension credits are subject to the approval of the adviser
and the Departmental Graduate Committee.

Courses graded on a satisfactory/unsatisfactory basis cannot be included
on a degree plan.

A degree plan cannot contain more than six semester hours of any combination
of the following courses: 450G, 475G, 550, 599, and 675. Students may
write to the department chairperson for information concerning the scheduling
of courses.

468G Teaching Reading in Secondary School and College. (3) A
theory-based course that translates knowledge and research concerning
reading at the middle school level, high school level, and college level
into recommendations for effective instruction, and focuses on the various
kinds of reading programs that exist at the post-elementary level. A minimum
grade of C is required for teacher education majors.

508 Phonics for Decoding and Spelling. (3) From an approach
that focuses on environmental print and authentic literature experiences,
this course examines a variety of aspects of phonological processing:
(1) phonological/phonemic awareness, (2) phonics and other word identification
strategies, and (3) spelling.

533 Special Problems in Reading. (1–3, repeatable) Not
allowable on degree plans but rather designed to give teachers an opportunity
for in-service growth through application of problem-solving strategies
in dealing with individual education problems in a specific school setting.
Graded S/U.

550 Professional Workshop in Reading. (1–3) Workshops
are usually organized around a particular theme based upon student demand.

553 Integrating Reading and Writing Through Inquiry. (3)
This K-12 course explores relationships between reading and the use of
collaborative, authentic reading and writing learning experiences within
an inquiry-oriented curriculum.

569 Reading in Early Childhood. (3) Designed to help
teachers of preschool, kindergarten, and primary grades to plan and design
developmentally appropriate programs aimed at facilitating the acquisition
of pre-reading and reading abilities. Emphasis on how early guidance and
instructional programs can attend to all aspects of language: listening,
speaking, reading, and writing.

570 Teaching Reading in the Elementary School. (3) An
introductory course comparing various approaches to teaching reading and
translating knowledge and research concerning elementary reading into
recommendations for effective instruction.

571 Assessment of Reading Abilities and Disabilities. (3) A
K-12 course focusing on the uses of diagnostic tools, tests, and procedures
(both formal and informal) for investigating reading abilities and disabilities
in clinical and classroom settings. Prerequisite: RDG 468G or RDG
570.

574 Practicum in Reading. (3) An advanced course where
knowledge of diagnosis and instruction is refined, applied, and extended
as students work individually with small groups of elementary and/or secondary
students in a closely supervised instructional setting. Prerequisites:
RDG 570 or 468G; 571; and 573.

575 Seminar in Reading Research. (3) A course focusing
on reviewing current research on various issues in reading and conducting
an in-depth library search on a specific issue and compiling the results
into a cohesive, well-written document. Prerequisites: RDG 570 or
RDG 468G; EIS 500 suggested.

576 Psychology of Reading. (3) A theory course for elementary
and secondary teachers focusing on the psychological and linguistic factors
that influence the reading process, including topics such as language
learning and reading disabilities, processing differences between good
and poor comprehenders, and the effect of current reading process theory
on teaching practices. Prerequisites: RDG 570, RDG 468G, or permission
of the instructor.

580 Reading in the Content Areas. (3) An individually
designed course for elementary and secondary reading majors and non-majors,
this introductory course helps enrollees become familiar with concepts
and teaching strategies needed to assist students to learn from textbooks
and nontextbook materials.

581 Reading in Adult Basic Education. (3) This course,
designed for the volunteer tutor, ABE teacher, or adult literacy program
coordinator, focuses on a philosophy of teaching adults to read, appropriate
assessment procedures/instructional strategies/reading materials, and
trends in the adult literacy movement. Prerequisite: RDG 570, RDG
468G or permission of the instructor.

586 Language Development and Reading. (3) This pre K-12
course explores theories of language development and the relationship
between language development and learning to read. Of special interest
are populations (such as second language learners, those with a learning
disability with respect to oral communication, and hearing impaired students)
who find learning to read difficult because of language barriers. Prerequisite:
RDG 569, RDG 570, or RDG 468G.

588 Leadership in Reading. (3) Designed for the reading
specialist in the classroom or remedial program and for the administrator
responsible for the reading program, this course prepares participants
to act as change agents within the school-based reading program in areas
of curriculum/methodology, organization, administration, and staff development.
Prerequisites: Fifteen graduate hours in reading to include RDG 468G
or RDG 570, RDG 571, and RDG 573. School administrators may enroll with
permission of the instructor.

599 Independent Study. (1–4, repeatable to 4)
An investigation of problems related to the student's major area. A substantial
written report, as well as an informal report, will be required. Students
will meet regularly with an instructor during the course on an arranged
basis. Enrollment by permission only.